For the second consecutive week, Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen finished just shy of the podium, scoring another fourth-place overall result with 3-4 moto finishes at round five of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship in Blountville, Tennessee. In moto one, Roczen rocketed down the start straight with the holeshot and early lead. He immediately came under fire but was able to fend off the attacks until lap six, when he relinquished the front spot. He tried to mount a charge but was once again forced to play defense before falling to third and riding smoothly and consistently for the remainder of the 30-minute-plus-two-lap race.

In the second race, the German was once again unstoppable off the start, launching his CRF450R to another holeshot. He fell to second halfway through the opening lap, then lost an additional position one lap later. He maintained third until again coming under fire with eight minutes remaining. Roczen fought hard, but as lappers entered the picture he fell to fourth, which is where he finished.

NOTES

  • On Friday, Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen, along with GEICO Honda’s Jeremy Martin, RJ Hampshire, Chase Sexton, and Cameron McAdoo, attended a pre-race open house at Atlas Motorsports, where hundreds of enthusiastic fans were on hand to meet their favorite riders.
  • Light rain during the early part of the day made for slick and muddy track conditions throughout qualifying practice. After two sessions, Roczen qualified sixth-fastest with a 1’54.228’ time.
  • It was a bittersweet day for the GEICO Honda squad, as rookie Chase Sexton celebrated his career-first 250MX podium finish of third overall with 8-4 results, while Jeremy Martin had a hard crash early in the second moto that sent him to the hospital with a burst fracture to his L1 vertebrae. Martin has full mobility but will undergo surgery today (Monday) to stabilize the area.
  • On June 30, Team Honda HRC will campaign the sixth round of the 2018 AMA Pro Motocross championship at The Wick 338 in Southwick, Massachusetts.

Media contact:

Mandie Fonteyn // Jonnum Media  // mandie@jonnummedia.com// +1 (951) 537-0454

Ken Roczen 94

“I’m happy with how today went. I got fourth, but I feel a lot better and am more satisfied with it this weekend than last because I think we made some good steps forward. I’m a lot happier with my second moto. We definitely made some great improvements on the bike between races. I was kind of fighting it a little in the first moto, but the changes we made were a lot better. I was having fun and not feeling beat up. I ripped two holeshots, which is great. I was up there in the first moto, finishing third, but I just wasn’t gelling. I don’t think the results show how happy I was with the second moto—not on the podium, but all in all I’m satisfied and we can just keep working forward from here on out.”

Erik Kehoe

Team Manager

“Fourth overall is not where Kenny wants to be ultimately, but it was another week of progress. He made steps forward, being more comfortable with the bike, being a little stronger, and getting two holeshots. Starts are obviously key, and he’s really getting those dialed, with one holeshot last weekend and now two this weekend. Everything is building, which is what we want to see each week.”

AMA Pro Motocross 2018
Race Round 5

450MX Moto 1 Results

Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Constructor Time/Gap
1 Tomac Eli 3 USA Monster Energy Kawasaki Kawasaki
2 Barcia Justin 51 USA TLD/Red Bull GasGas GasGas
3 Roczen Ken 94 GER Team Honda HRC Honda
4 Baggett Blake 4 USA Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM WPS KTM
5 Musquin Marvin 25 FRA Red Bull KTM KTM
6 Peick Weston 23 USA Autotrader/ JGR/ Yoshimura/ Suzuki Factory Racing Suzuki
7 Nicoletti Phillip 46 USA Autotrader/ JGR/ Yoshimura/ Suzuki Factory Racing Yamaha
8 Hill Justin 46 USA Smartop Bullfrog Spas MotoConcepts Honda Honda
9 Bloss Benny 73 USA SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts Honda Honda
10 Miller Henry 81 USA Trigger Racing Yamaha
11 Cunningham Kyle 39 USA H.E.P Motorsports Suzuki
12 Merriam Dylan 559 USA None Yamaha
13 Lamay Ben 71 USA TPJ/Fly Racing Honda
14 Harrison Heath USA Got Gear Motorsports Kawasaki
16 Hayes Jacob 156 USA Mitchell Motorsports Kawasaki
17 Gaines Nick 49 USA Traders Racing Yamaha
18 Ray Alex 87 USA SGB Racing/Maxxis/Babbitt's Kawasaki Kawasaki
19 Masterpool Jake 146 USA None Yamaha
20 Cooper Cody 121 NZL Crownkiwi Enterprise Honda
AMA Pro Motocross 2018
Race Round 5

450MX Moto 2 Results

Pos. Rider Num Nation Team Constructor Time/Gap
1 Musquin Marvin 25 FRA Red Bull KTM KTM
2 Barcia Justin 51 USA TLD/Red Bull GasGas GasGas
3 Tomac Eli 3 USA Monster Energy Kawasaki Kawasaki
4 Roczen Ken 94 GER Team Honda HRC Honda
5 Baggett Blake 4 USA Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM WPS KTM
6 Peick Weston 23 USA Autotrader/ JGR/ Yoshimura/ Suzuki Factory Racing Suzuki
7 Hill Justin 46 USA Smartop Bullfrog Spas MotoConcepts Honda Honda
8 Bloss Benny 73 USA SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts Honda Honda
9 Nicoletti Phillip 46 USA Autotrader/ JGR/ Yoshimura/ Suzuki Factory Racing Yamaha
10 Cunningham Kyle 39 USA H.E.P Motorsports Suzuki
11 Cooper Cody 121 NZL Crownkiwi Enterprise Honda
12 Hayes Jacob 156 USA Mitchell Motorsports Kawasaki
13 Ray Alex 87 USA SGB Racing/Maxxis/Babbitt's Kawasaki Kawasaki
14 Autenrieth Cade 330 USA Mountain Motorsports/Factory Connection/Hinson KTM
16 Masterpool Jake 146 USA None Yamaha
17 Merriam Dylan 559 USA None Yamaha
18 Leith Brandon 388 USA Team Leith Kawasaki
19 Miller Henry 81 USA Trigger Racing Yamaha
20 Lamay Ben 71 USA TPJ/Fly Racing Honda